Enzymatic degradation of plutonium-contaminated cellulose products
- Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)
- Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium, TX (United States)
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Enzyme solutions produced for commercial purposes unrelated to waste management have the potential for reducing the volume of wastes in streams containing cellulose, lipid and protein materials. For example, the authors have shown previously that cellulases used in denim production and in detergent formulations are able to digest cellulose-containing sorbents and other cellulose-based wastes contaminated either with crude oil or with uranium. This presentation describes the use of one such enzyme preparation (Rapidase{trademark}, manufactured by Genencor, Rochester, NY) for the degradation of cotton sorbents intentionally contaminated with low levels of plutonium. This is part of a feasibility study to determine if such treatments have a role in reducing the volume of low level and transuranic wastes to minimize the amount of radionuclide-contaminated waste destined for costly disposal options.
- Research Organization:
- Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC04-95AL85832
- OSTI ID:
- 350862
- Report Number(s):
- ANRCP-99002714; ON: DE99002714; TRN: AHC29921%%47
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1999]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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